


And how does that make you feel?

by Rosyredlipstick



Series: AU Solangelo Fic [6]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan, The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan
Genre: 'I’m a super villain and you’re a therapist I kidnapped bc I need someone to talk to au', Hades is a super villain, M/M, Okay A Lot, Tumblr Prompt, nico breaks into places sometimes, otp: sometimes I do slightly illegal things in order to talk to you, will's eyes: bluest blue to ever blue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-28
Updated: 2015-11-01
Packaged: 2018-04-01 15:36:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4025365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rosyredlipstick/pseuds/Rosyredlipstick
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I’m a super villain and you’re a therapist I kidnapped bc I need someone to talk to au.<br/>-<br/>Or, where Hades is the ruling super villain of the world and Nico really can't deal with that. But you know who can help him? Dr. William Solace, expert psychologist who may or may not be about to be kidnapped.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“I’m not kidnapping you.” Nico cleared up right before he peeled the duct tape off of William Solace’s mouth. “It’s not kidnap if I return you.”

William licked his lips quickly and gave him a hard, surprised look, “What the hell are you doing then?”

Nico leaned back and tipped his hat forward so it shadowed across his face. “You’re a therapist, right?”

William stared at him in disbelief and nodded, “Uh...yeah? I guess?”

Nico sighed in relief. “Okay, good. So lately I’ve really been going back and forth on the whole ‘evil vs good’ thing. Like, everyone expects me to be the bad guy but I’m so _tired-“_

“Wait, wait, _wait.”_ Will interrupted, “Did you kidnap me for a psych evaluation?” 

“Um, yeah.” Nico ducked his head, “Is that okay?”

“You know you could have scheduled an appointment, right?” Will’s voice went up at the end. His voice was starting on a hysteric edge, something that Nico didn’t really want from his temporary therapist.

Nico held up his hands quickly, “I’m the son of one of the most powerful super villains on the earth! Do you really think I’m just able to call up a doctor’s office and go, ‘ya know doctor I’ve had this bad pain in my arm. My name? Oh, just Nico di Angelo, direct descendent of Hades, ruler of Evil!’” Nico scowled, “The tabloids alone make that impossible!”

“Thus, kidnapping?!” Will screeched, his wrists still bound.

Nico nodded seriously, “Thus, kidnapping.”

Will looked at loss for words. “I…You…” he blinked and stared at Nico in angry disbelief. Nico gave him a short, quick shrug that caused Will to huff and go quiet for a moment. In that moment he seemed to collect himself and, with a lot of weary resignation behind it, asked, “How’s your relationship with your father?”

Nico laid back into the wall of the van they were currently camped out in. “He’s a good dad. He really is, he used to help me and my sisters with our homework and he’s always home for dinner. He always treats us with respect but…he’s also a super villain.”

Will nodded, “And your sisters? How do they react to your father?”

“He and Hazel have the occasional fight, mostly because Hazel’s dating this new guy who’s all ‘the good of human kind’ or something like that. He and Bianca fought _all the time_ before she ran off to join this all-girls human rights group.” Nico pulled his knees and rested his chin.

“Does the topic of your sister make you uncomfortable?” Will observed, shifting in his rope binds. Will must have come to the conclusion that this was, in fact, his life.

Nico shrugged and averted his eyes. “I guess. It just kinda feels like she abandoned me. Bianca took care of me the most after our mom died. And now…I haven’t talked to her in years. Bianca and Hazel were never that close – she left right before Hades found out he had another daughter so they’ve never really got to know each other.”

Will hummed under his breath, which seemed to prompt more talking out of Nico. “And they both are edging on the border of being _good._ Standing in the white light and all. Bianca’s out there, fighting against Hades every day. I know Hazel’s moving in with Frank – her boyfriend – as soon as she turns 18 and I’m just…here. In the middle.”

“Have you expressed these ideas to your father?”

Nico shook his head sharply, “After losing Bianca to the good she is might as well dead to him. He refuses to talk to her or about her, and he can’t stand to think that Hazel and I might feel the same way as Bianca.”

Will nodded and Nico had a feeling that if he could, he would be taking notes. Nico appreciated how seriously he was taking this. “How does that make you feel?”

Nico waved his hands, “I don’t know! Frustrated? Annoyed? Trapped?”

“Are you asking me, or telling me?” Will asked, watching him critically.

Nico licked his lips and mulled the thought that, maybe, this wasn’t a good idea. “Telling, I guess.”

Will nodded and tipped his head to the side. “Do you characterize yourself as a Bad Guy?”

Nico hung his head and, in a small voice, answered, “I don’t know. Maybe. I don’t want to be, but I’ve kind of grown up with it. It’s all people know me as.”

“You weren’t born evil, Nico.” Will tells him gently, “It is up to you whether you follow your fathers or sister’s paths. Perhaps you’ll pave your own path. But that is all up to you.”

“I think you should try and reconnect with your sisters. I mean, you relationship with uh, evil? Yeah. It isn’t that strong, right?”

Nico rolled his eyes and gave him a look. “I’m 18 and I’ve already kidnapped my first person. My relationship with evil can’t be _that_ weak.”

“I’m your first? I’m so flattered.”

Nico leaned back and groaned, rubbing the heels of his hands deep into his eyes. It was like an intense eye massage. Maybe he should kidnap a masseuse next time.“So. Reconnect with my sisters? That’s what I should do?”

“That is my advice, yes. But only do it if you feel completely comfortable in your decision. Also, please let me go.”

“Oh!” Nico jumped forward and began untying the ropes around Will’s wrists, “Yeah! I’ll have one of my dad’s minions or someone drop you off where we got you.”

Will rubbed at his wrists for a second before reaching into his pocket. Nico froze for a second, fearing that he was reaching for a weapon or a cell phone to call the police with or, worst of all, get a picture or video of the famous Nico di Angelo spilling his emotional guts. The tabloids would eat that up.

Instead, he pulled out a worn leather wallet and slipped a thin card into Nico’s surprised hands. “Next time, just come during office hours.”  

Nico held on to the card tightly, even after Jules-Albert dropped Will Solace back off at the parking lot they’d, er _, picked_ him up at. Kidnapping was such a harsh word, and Will was a man, not a kid at all.

Nico ran his fingernail over the raised ink text on the business card and quickly, without risking too much thought, programmed the number into his phone under a false name. He quickly burned the card soon after, the evidence too risky to enter into the di Angelo Manor.

Nico sighed as the car approached his living space. The black, looming columns seemed to lean in and suffocate him. The steel door, with numerous different locks, encryptions, and code words wasn’t welcoming at all, and seemed to only serve as a reminder of how trapped he was under his father’s roof. The final, dark color was a harsh, stark contract in comparison to the blue in Will Solace’s eyes.

After the long event that was getting into the Manor, he dragged his feet across the carpet, exhaustion hitting him all at once. It was then he stopped in his tracks at the glowing light curling out from under Hazel’s door. He swallowed and promised his exhaustion relief at another time before curling a fist and gently knocking on his sister’s door.

She answered a few moments later, surprised with a phone clenched in her right hand. Her hair was in wild ringlets and the sharp stench of nail polish pushed out of the room like rough waves.

“Hey Hazel. Can we talk?”


	2. Chapter 2

Will Solace didn't look up as he crossed the threshold and shut the door behind him, his keys dangling from one hand and plastic grocery bags grasped in the other. He didn’t react as he crossed the plush carpet to set the bags on the counter, his only out of ordinary motion was the flicking of a small pocket knife.

In a single smooth motion he turned, flipped the lights on, and had his knife at the ready.

“Oh.” he breathed out, “It’s just you.”

Nico di Angelo leaned against the counter, his hand buried in a box of Teddy Grahams. “Just me?” he mimicked, “Why I think I deserve a better response than that.”

Will rolled his eyes and dropped his knife but didn’t snap it back together. Instead he rested it on the counter, easily within reach. He began to unpack his groceries.

“What’s for dinner?” Nico asked, pushing himself up on the counter and popping another cracker into his mouth. He leaned over and tried to peer into the bags. “I”m starving.”

“Well _I’m_ having four cheese pasta. I don’t know what you’re having.” Will told him. But his hands, which were busy measuring out portions for two, told a different story.

“Sounds delicious. Can’t wait.”

“Did you break into my apartment for any particular reason?” Will tried to snap, but with no real force behind it.

Nico sighed and took another bite of the stolen crackers, “So I talked to Hazel.”

“You did?” Will asked, his voice free of any dominant emotion. He seemed absorbed in his current task of washing the tomatoes.

Nico took a breath, “Yeah. Turns out she’s leaving easier than planned - in about a month actually. She wants me to go with her.”

This revelation made Will freeze slightly but it went unnoticed to Nico’s distracted mind. He continued to talk,

“I really don’t know. Like, as bad as my dad is, he’s still my dad, you know? And he loves us, like a lot. When I say that he would do anything for us...I’m not exaggerating. I just can’t abandon him like that. But I can’t live a life of evil either. That’s not who I am.”

Will swallowed and kept up the illusion of being busy by starting to slice the mushrooms. “Do you see yourself being more as a bad guy, or a good guy?” He asked casually, the forced tone perfected over years in the field.

Nico dropped his head, “I don’t know how to be a good guy.” he snorted, “Hell, breaking into your apartment was one of the easiest things I’ve ever done. Not because your security system is crap or anything - by the way the window in the second bedroom is no longer covered by your system - but because I’m so used to it.

Will hid his annoyance behind a snort, “That’s reassuring.” He told him sarcastically. He eyed the sadness that was radiating off the other boy. “Come on, we’ll talk about your problems after dinner. Now, if you plan to eat my food you’re gonna have to work for it.” Will pointed his sharp knife in the direction of the cabinet. “Get the cheese grater and get to work. This four cheese pasta isn’t going to make itself.”

-

“Why, William Solace, do you always Wine & Dine your favorite patients with such extravagant manners?”

Will rolled his eyes, “You’re not my patient, you’re just someone who has a bad tendency to do illegal things in order to talk to me. And this is hardly extravagant.”

Nico tipped his wine glass towards him, “Doesn’t change the fact that I’m your favorite. And I’m not the one who busted out the big fancy red juice, am I?”

Will took a long sip of his own wine - it would seem he would be needing it for the night ahead. “Don’t push it, di angelo. I might talk away your ‘juice.’ Are you even old enough to be drinking alcohol?”

Nico shielded his glass away from Will, “I'm almost 19.” he argued, “It’s close enough. And I’m Italian, I’ve been drinking wine with dinner since I was basically born.”

Will swirled his pasta around his fork, “I doubt that.” But he made no move to take away Nico’s glass. “What would your father say about your underage drinking?”

Nico barked out a laugh, “Really? You think _my_ father - ruler of all evil - would be opposed to me sipping on some cherry wine at dinner?”

Will shrugged good heartedly, “Some parents have strict house rules.”

Nico leaned forward to catch the spark in Will too blue eyes, “And yours? What were your parents like?”

“I don’t share personal information with my clients.” Will told him, the line dull as if the words had had a lot of use. “It’s unprofessional.”

Nico took of a bite of his pasta and spoke with his mouth full, “So you admit I’m your patient?”

Will caught himself, or at least his words caught up with him. His cheeks colored at his mistake.

Nico dismissed the last words to pursue a new route of information.

“So tell me Will, and just forget for a moment that I’ve read and studied the entire file the national government has on you, is there a Mr. or Mrs. to keep you company?”

“The national government has a file on me?”

“Of course they do.” Nico answered dismissively, “Back to my question, anyone keep you warm at night?”

Will gave him a look, “You already know the answer to that. What about you? How’s the latest celebrity the National Enquirer has decided to pair you with?”

“Oh, it was TMZ actually. And he’s doing great, just wonderful. Also I fear I may be cheating on him with a star-crossed lover’s storyline - last time I checked Star Magazine was telling me I was dating Jason Grace - son of Politically Important Good Guy Zeus.”

Will hummed, “Sounds confusing. Maybe you should seek therapy to help you sort it out.”

Nico hid a smile behind a mouthful of pasta, “You know, I’ve been considering it actually! But I just can’t find one with convenient hours.”

“I have a similar problem with my clients. They all schedule to meet during my office hours.” Will shook his head, “It’s irritating. Don’t they know that all my free time is after work?”

“It seems we would be perfect for each other.” Nico began to rip his garlic bread to dip it into sauce.

“In theory, it seems.”

Nico slurped up his pasta, “I don’t know. It seems to be working so far.”

Will didn’t argue, but he didn’t voice agreement either. Instead he asked, “How is your sister doing?” Nico’s eyes flickered down and Will made a careful mental note about that.

“She seems…happy with her plans. And she really wants me to go with her. She has a whole elaborate scheme to escape our father – which involves emancipating herself and running off to some camp in San Francisco.” Nico sighed and took another bite of his dinner – thinking over his next words. “I want to go with her.”

Will put down his fork and focused on him, “But?”

“I can’t leave my dad.” Nico finished for him.

Will licked his lips as he thought. It was very distracting for Nico.

“Do you think your father would ever retire from evil?” Will suggested

Nico shook his head sharply, “Bianca tried that approach for years before she ran off. There was once when she came close to convincing him – he booked a press conference and everything to announce it – but it fell through as always.”

“Have you ever tried to talk to him about it?”

Nico leaned back into his chair; his dinner was growing colder as he made no more motions to continue eating it. “He just ignores me whenever I try and bring it up.”

Will continued to eat his dinner, “I think you should approach him about it before you make your decision on whether to go with Hazel or not.”

Nico nodded but kept his gaze glued to the wooden floors of Will’s small dining room. He suddenly felt like he was intruding. “That makes sense.” He finally said, more to break the unbearable silence then to agree.

“ _But_ ,” Will interrupted, “I have one major rule in my counseling: only follow my advice if you’re comfortable with it.”

Nico glanced up to meet Will’s incredibly earnest and open eyes. They were truly an incredible shade of blue. Nico swallowed, “Yeah. Yeah, okay. I’ll talk to him.”

Nico scrambled to his feet and jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “I should get going,” his voice was apologetic, “My family will be expecting me soon.”

Will nodded and wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin he had draped over the table. Nico took one last long drink of his wine, emptying the glass. He was pleasantly warm and the feeling was not unfamiliar. Nico supposed having a father as one of the most powerful men in the world came with certain perks – like hugely expensive rich wines. Will showed Nico the door and Nico shifted his weight uncomfortably before opening his mouth.

“Hey,” Nico stopped before he could fully cross the doorway, “How did you know someone was in your apartment?”

Will grinned, full and a little sharp, “Now, Nico you must know I can’t reveal all my secrets. Anyways, if I tell you, how will I know next time you’re here?”

Nico bit his lip and tugged on the end of his hair. _Next time_ echoed through his mind. He waved his hand in goodbye in response, not knowing how to answer.

“Where too, Boss?” Jules-Albert questioned once Nico was settled comfortably in the back of the limo.

“The Manor.” He answered curtly. His mind seemed to be focused on other topics for the moment.

 _(Read ‘other topics’ as:_ _blond hair, blue eyes, sharp humor and a curled grin)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I was convinced to write a second chapter 8) How y'all liked it!


	3. Chapter 3

“You’re out of Cheez-its.”

Will didn’t even bother hiding his obvious surprise. He only paused in the act of selecting a carton of strawberries and blinked.

“And how, Mr. di Angelo, would you know that?”

Nico strolled up behind him and pulled his beanie down to cover his inky hair. “I got bored of waiting for you in your apartment. Also, I ate the rest of your Pringles.”

Will’s sigh could barely cover the sound of his amusement. Mostly aimed at Nico’s poor disguise.

“You suck at going incognito.” Will pulled the beanie over Nico’s eyes with one hand, “And how did you know I was here?”

Nico scowled and pulled his hat back before pushing a pair of thin-wired glasses onto his face. His movements were loose and lazy but there was a tenseness under that façade that Will was trained to identify.  

Nico rolled his eyes and blew air up into his bangs, “How did I know that you go grocery shopping every Thursday after work? _Gee_ , it’s a mystery that’ll never be solved.”

Will hummed and continued to push the shopping cart, “It seems that _someone_  is particularly snippy today.”

Nico deflated a bit and pointed down an aisle, “You’re low on cereal.”

“Oh, crap, I totally forgot.” Will backpedaled and turned to examine the colorful boxes with ruthless scrutiny and determination. Nico groaned.

“As someone who has the tendency to eat  _a lot_  of your food, I am begging you please,  _please_  don’t get that disgusting healthy cereal.”

Will shot a glare at him, “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, Nico. You shouldn’t swallow a bowl of sugar first thing in the morning; it’s not good for you.”

Nico glared at the box of unfrosted Wheaties Will had lovingly placed in the cart before chucking in a box of Honey Smacks after it. Will gracefully ignored him and made no move to remove the sugary candy disguised as breakfast as he continued down the aisle.

“So, are you just going to eat my food and spend my money or are you going to test my ability to follow the ACA Code of Ethics as well?” Will asked as he looked over the boxes of pasta.

“I’m not spending your money.” Nico protested as he threw a pack of pizza Pringles into the cart. “I’m paying you back.”  
Will snorted and shook his head with a grin. Nico really enjoyed that smile.  
He turned his head to wrinkle his nose at the Pringles, “Those are disgusting, Nico. At least pick up some of the Sour Cream and Onion too.”

Nico complied, tossing in the separate cylinder of chips. Nico caught the eye of a nearby middle age woman and quickly looked away, tightening his loose flannel and fidgeting with his unfamiliar glasses in the process.

“Anything else?” Will asked, mostly to himself.

“Milk.” Nico reminded him, “You’re almost out and you’ll need some if you want to make macaroni later this week.”

Will raised his eyebrows, “And who says I’ll be making macaroni later this week?”

Nico nodded towards the no less than 6 boxes of Kraft Mac & Cheese that he had thrown in the cart when Will was looking at sauces. “I’d say you were, by the looks of it.”

Will rolled his eyes and took 4 of the boxes out, “Don’t you eat at home?” He questioned, slight concern seeping through his words.

Nico shrugged, “Big, extravagant dinners, yeah. But sometimes,” Nico held up a box, “A boy just needs his ramen noodles.”

Will sighed, “Those are  _so_ bad for you.”

-

“You’re helping me bring all of this junk up to my apartment.” Will told him as he paid. The elderly clerk who was helping them check out kept shooting confused, lingering glances at Nico.

Nico shrugged as he flipped over all the glossy gossip magazines to hide his image, “Yeah, sure, whatever.”

-

“I thought you were some kind of health food nut.” Nico observed from under the red and gold arches. The drive-thru was lit up in bright whites and yellows. The fake glasses still rested on his face, as did the overbearing beanie. “Anyways, didn’t we just buy like a ton of groceries?”

“I don’t feel like cooking tonight.” Will told him, “Besides, I’ve never been good at denying myself life’s easier pleasures.” Will told him, his gaze a little too heavy and lasting a little too long. Nico felt his skin tighten a bit under the attention and any sarcastic, witty comment was fumbled in the remaining emotion.

Will was the first to break from the moment. He glanced away and cleared his throat and, just like that, the air was cleared. “What do you want?”

“Whatever.” Nico told him, still a little dazed from the emotion and maybe a little from the blueness in Will’s eyes, “I don’t care.” He added, trying more to convince himself in terms of his mental dilemma rather than his fast food order. He leaned back in the passenger seat and tried to ignore Will’s voice. Will responded – the tone in his voice sounding like a smirk - but Nico didn’t listen to any of the words.

A few minutes later Nico was scowling down at his lap.

“This is not what I meant.” Nico bit out from over the red and yellow box. A yellow smile was painted back at him.

“You said whatever.” Will reminded him, handing him another Happy Meal – presumably his own. “I got us chicken nuggets. And hey! We got toys!”

Will grinned up at him and beamed a little, boyishly and a bit genuinely excited. Nico tried not to facepalm the airbag out of frustration and attempted to smile in return.

“Yeah.” Nico fished a warm, salty French fry out and popped it into his mouth, “At least we got toys.”

Will pulled into one of the closet parking spots before pulling his own Happy Meal into his lap. “So how did your talk with your father go?” He asked absentmindedly as he picked through the box to find the small container of chicken nuggets. He made a small sound of victory as he successfully pulled them out.

“Uh…” Nico bit his lip and took a mouthful of fries in order to have more time to think over his words, “Okay, I guess. A little bad.”

“Bad?” Will questioned as he dipped his nuggets into sauce.

“Yeah. Um.” Nico ducked his head and pulled off the fake glasses. They were useless now – the setting sun meant that the shadows would be able to hid him better than any disguise could.

Will didn’t say anything, instead letting Nico think over his words without distraction. He munched on his meal quietly, listening instead to the faint loop of some pop song playing softly on the radio.

“I’m kind of told him I’m moving out.” Nico finally revealed, glancing up at Will. His dark eyes were rimmed in pink and his pale skin was covered in blotchy red spots.

“Oh.” Will blinked, “Is that something you’ve been thinking about for awhile?”  

Nico took a long sip of his drink, “Not really.” His voice was low, “I mean, its crossed my mind but more in a way of just wanting to be on my own for awhile. Not…how it happened.”

Will cocked his head to the side, “What do you mean?”

Nico swallowed the burn in his throat, “I kind of made him choose. Keeping up his life of Evil or…I’d move out.”

“I see.” Will sighed, “I am very sorry, Nico.”

“I just don’t get it. How can he say he loves us more than anything but…but then he just lets this lifestyle take not only one, but two children from him.” Nico faced Will, “I don’t understand how he could just not care so much. He barely blinked after I gave him the choice. He just handed me a blank check and told me to go find an apartment.”

Will set down his meal and faced Nico full on, “Nico, you need to understand that everyone is afraid of something. Everyone. Even the most powerful snake is afraid once they are faced with a lion. It is possible that your father is afraid of what he doesn’t know – such as a life without Evil. What is he without Evil?”

“He’s a dad.” Nico bit out, his eyes glassy with emotion, “He’s _my_ dad.”

“I know this, Nico.” Will reminded him kindly, “Perhaps if you reminded him he is more than just Evil, more than just a bad guy, he will reflect on this. I think you should consider talking to him once more – without such a big confrontation - before you decide to move out or follow your sister. These next few decisions could shape how your relationship is with your father for the next few years.”

“I don’t want to lose my dad.” Nico’s voice cracked and he lowered his voice, “But I can’t live like this anymore. If – if he does love Evil more than me – and he chooses that over me – he’s already lost to me.”

“You shouldn’t say that. Holding grudges isn’t good for anyone.” Will advised, “People make mistakes. If he does go through with his decision you might have to accept that this is one of his mistakes.”

Nico swallowed roughly and tried to hold his emotion at bay. But it was a useless attempt - a few tears dripped from his eyes and onto his dark jeans. He turned away to hide his face – but it was too late. He felt Will shift in his seat beside him. Nico tried to make himself as small as possible as he grabbed the bundle of papers on the dashboard and separated a few of them.

“I’m sorry.” Nico muttered as he rubbed the scratchy napkins into his already red eyes.

“Don’t apologize for crying.” Will told him kindly, taking his hand and pulling the crumbled napkins from his fists, “Crying is a perfectly natural, healthy way to express sadness. You shouldn’t be ashamed that your body is reacting to your emotion.”

Will gave him a small, sad smile and carefully dabbed the napkin under Nico’s wet eyes.

“There.” He whispered, carefully folding the napkin only to discard it on the floor of the car, “All better.”

Nico swallowed and flicked his eyes up to meet Will’s. “Thank you. For letting me do this.”

Will grinned, and he was beautiful under the red and gold florescent lights.

“Hey, there’s a no better time and place for a session than eight at night in a McDonalds parking lot.” Will laughed and began to dig around in his Happy Meal box, “And hey,” he held something up, “At least we got Beanie Boos.”

Nico laughed weakly before following Will’s example and pulling out his own toy.

“A pink elephant!” Will grinned in approval, “I got the blue owl. Why do they do that anyways? They could be teaching some small impressionable child that all owls are blue, and then that’ll just cause more confusion down the road.”

“I think the children will be fine, Will.” Nico told him, pulling the small plush toy out of the plastic wrapper. He glanced at Will’s radiant grin and felt his mood grow significantly better.

Will bummed their shoulders, “What are you going to name yours? I think I’m going to go with Soren.” He tipped the small blue owl towards Nico with a thoughtful look, “Don’t you think? I think it’s the sparkly beak that really gives it a personality.”

Nico snorted, “You’re ridiculous.”

Will laughed and reached out, “C’mon, let me see.”

Nico raised his eyebrows and held the stuffed elephant out of Will’s reach, “Now, William. I wasn’t aware that this was a _you show me yours, I’ll show you mine_ kind of deal.” He smirked at Will’s blush, “Maybe my elephant isn’t comfortable in your hands.”

Will leaned forward, “Your elephant, huh?” He ran a hand through his hair and grinned, “Is that was the kids are calling it these days?”

Nico snapped his jaw close and slapped a hand over his mouth to smother his sudden laugh. The laugh felt rough in his raw throat and he cleared his throat once before speaking, “Will!” He exclaimed with a grin, “Just take it, oh my god!”

Nico tossed the toy over to the other boy, “I can’t believe you.” He muttered with a smile.

“Cheered you up, didn’t I?” Will smiled cheekily, “And I believe I have found a name for your elephant.”

“Oh?” Nico questioned, pushing the rest of his uneaten meal into the Happy Meal box.

“Mhmm.” Will hummed, tossed the small elephant back in forth in his hands while his owl sat on his lap. “I’m naming it Sunshine.”

Nico looked up, “Sunshine?” he questioned

“Everyone, but especially you Nico di Angelo, could use a little sunshine in their lives.” He tossed the elephant back to Nico’s awaiting hands, “He can be an adorable, little plush reminder of that.”

Nico smiled softly and instead focused on how the ends of Will’s blond hair glowed under the attention of the golden lights, and how loose and happy his eyes and smile were.

“I could deal with that.” Nico muttered softly.

“Now come on, we have to get home. The frozen vegetables are going to completely dethaw at this point and I don’t feel like marching grocery bags full of soup up two flights of stairs.”

Nico rolled his eyes but reached over to buckle himself in, “Don’t be overdramatic, Solace.”

“Don’t worry; I’ll leave that up to you.” Will smirked and pulled Nico’s beanie off, “I do know how you love getting all dolled up for me.”

Nico playfully scowled and – even with that fake frown in place – felt better than he had in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 will be up soon! It's already half written, but I can't seem to settle on the ending. Anyways, Happy Reading! 8)


	4. Chapter 4

“You locked your window.”

Will paused and pulled the phone away so he could stare at the ‘Unknown number’ label before he brought the phone back up, “Nico? Is that you?”

“Hello, Will. How are you doing? Great? Good to hear.  Are the introductions over now? Good? Great. Now let me in.”

“How’d you get my cell phone number?” Will asked, turning down his music, but making no move to get up.

“You gave it to me the night we, uh, met. Remember?”

“I gave you my office number.” Will reminded him slowly.

“Oh.” The word was loudly lacking any trace of confusion, “Well, it wasn’t that hard to find. You should be more careful on who you give your cell phone number out too.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want some guy to call me at eight o’clock at night and demand to be let in my house. That’d be the worst. Anyways, why didn’t you just use your normal tactics to break into my apartment?”

Nico let out a frustrated sigh into the phone, and he only sounded a little pissed. “Like I just said, you locked your window. And not just locked it, you double locked your window. Will, I can see the padlock from the outside.”

Will grinned and cocked his head to the side, “Are you outside my window right now?”

“Of course not.” Nico dismissed, “I’m outside your door right now.”

Will huffed out a laugh and cradled his phone to his cheek. “How do you even know I’m home right now?”

“Is that a joke?” Nico questioned, “Will, I can hear your shitty singing along to some even shitter pop song.”

Will cut himself off mid-lyric. “I’m not singing.” He insisted. He crept over to the door and peered through the peep hole. Will jerked in surprise, as Nico was staring straight into peep hole, looking much, much better than he had any right too. His lips were pink and parted and his dark eyelashes fanned across his rosy cheeks, and he had a large bag weighting down his shoulder. “Are you planning on letting me in?” His voice echoed in his ear, and he watched Nico’s sweet lips curl around the words.

He cursed to himself quietly and attempted to calm down his rapid heartbeat. “What, so you can eat my food and trash my apartment?” Will's voice was a little breathless and light. He swallowed and willed his cheeks to turn down a shade.

He opened the door and blocked the doorway, staring Nico down. “Is there something you need?” He asked playfully, cocking his hip out so he could lean against the wood.

Nico gave him a look and pushed past him with an exaggerated eye roll, “Where’s the pizza rolls? Or Mac and Cheese? I’ve had a terrible day and I need to stuff my face with empty calories and saturated fats.”

“Freezer and pantry, but you already know that.” Will followed him into the kitchen, secretly pleased, and only slightly alarmed, with how comfortable Nico was maneuvering around his apartment. He threw his bag on the couch and made a beeline for kitchen. “Want to talk about it?”

Nico groaned, pulling the large pizza roll's bag out of the freezer. “Pre-heat the oven and we’ll talk about it during/after I’ve stuffed my face with fake cheese and pepperoni.”

Will did as requested and pulled a cylinder of chips from the shelf, “You want these? They’re the gross flavor you like and they’re going stale.”

Nico made grabby hands and made a low, whining noise. Will shook his head and tossed the chips over.

“How’s Sunshine doin?” Will asked, hopping up on the counter and letting his feet dangle.

Nico’s cheeks colored a nice pink, “He’s uh, doing great. For a stuffed elephant, I mean. How’s Soren?”

“He’s wonderful, actually.” Will kicked his feet against the cabinets. “He’s sitting on the tallest shelf of the bookshelf in my office.”

Nico cocked his head to the side, “I kind of forgot you had an office.”

Will laughed, “It’s a nice office. You should see it sometime.”

Nico hummed under his breath as he put the pizza rolls in the oven, “Maybe I will.” He pressed the timer button and stood there for a moment, absorbing the heat from the oven.

Nico turned to him, a bit awkward, with his hands stuffed into his back pockets. The cylinder of Pringles was tucked under his arm. “Wanna binge watch Cupcake Wars on Netflix with me?”

“How do you know I have Netflix?”  Will asked, his voice more teasing then serious.

Nico leaned forward with a _tsk_ , “Oh, Will.” He shook his head in mock pity, and he tucked a stray curl behind Will’s ear before he could lean away. Or worst, lean in. “You shouldn’t be surprised when I know these things about you, anymore.”

“I should probably be worried about the interest you’ve taken in me.” Will decided.

 Nico patted his quickly warming cheeks and nodded with the faint curl of a smile, “Yeah. But you’re not.”

Will really, really wanted to deny that. But honestly, he just couldn’t.

-

“You seem really comfortable here.” Will remarked. Nico reached into a closet he somehow knew held blankets and pulled one out. Will tilted his head. “Do you come here when I’m not home?”

Nico shrugged, and Will could spot the secret tension that was held in the movement. “On occasion.” He answered vaguely, settling onto Will’s couch with the container of chips. “You have HBO, and Game of Thrones is back on.”

Nico went quiet, and his body was too still as Will thought over his words. Will thought about how nice it was to see the funny little notes Nico would leave, or coming home to the dishes done and dinner warming on the stove.

“Okay.” Will accepted, nodding. He thought it would feel more strange, or alarming, if he ever realized someone came into his apartment without his permission. Instead, Will realized, it felt a lot warmer.

-

“What happened today?” Will asked once Nico had settled in with his food. Nico sighed and gave him an obvious look, popping a still steaming pizza roll into his mouth.

“Have you even been outside today? Flipped on the news? Checked Facebook?” Nico raised his eyebrows, “Have you contacted the outside world at _all_ today?”

“It’s my day off.” He defended, “And my internet was done for a few hours this morning so I’ve just been listening to music.”

Nico tipped his head forward dramatically before unzipping his large bag and pulling a glossy magazine from the top. He tossed it over to Will so he could look at the front page. Before Will could react, or even glance at the cover, he went back to angrily ripping the rolls apart and dunking them in sauce.

“PLAYBOY HEIR TO EVIL FORTUNE GOES GOOD.” Will read off. He observed it for a moment before asking, “Why in the world do they think you’re a playboy?”

Nico groaned, “Will, that is totally, really, really not the point. Someone leaked to the press that I’m moving out because Hades picked his life of evil over his own son. The fact that they’re calling me a playboy doesn’t mean anything.”

“But do you agree with the title?” Will inquired, leaning forward in mock seriousness.

Nico rolled his eyes and pulled out another magazine – a different one but still splashed with Nico’s face across the cover. “The article is even worse.” He muttered, “All about how Hades is loosing another kid and all my secret ‘meetings’ I’ve been having with the good guys.”

“You’ve been having meetings with good guys?” Will asked, a bit distracted as he flipped open the magazine to discover even more photos of Nico.

Nico huffed, “I met with Frank – my sister’s boyfriend – _once_ because she wanted me to pick up a few things from his house. But it was far so we just met half way at a Starbucks and apparently that was enough for an entire news article. But – other than that – No! The closest ‘good’ person I’ve been meeting with on a regular basis is, well, _you_. But you’re not mentioned in any of the magazines. And, honestly, I’m _pretty_ sure I would be able to persuade you in the other direction if I needed too, so you don’t count.”

“Hey!” He protested before stopping to think about it. “Eh, probably.” He watched Nico unload more and more magazines out of his bag, a lot of the magazines having multiple copies. “How many did you buy?” He questioned in confusion, and a bit of alarm.

“I bought out all the magazine booths on the way here.” Nico answered, distracted as he flipped through another magazine, his pizza rolls going untouched. “All the other bags are in the van.”

 _“Bags?_ As in plural?” He eyed the large, heavy black bag that Nico kept pulling magazines out of. “You shouldn’t read that stuff. Most of is fake anyways, who cares?”

“I do, Will.” Nico curled up the magazine so he could grip it tightly, “This is _my_ image, Will. This is what people are going to see me as. If I ever want to do something with my life, to be something other than the son of an evil ruler, then I need to protect my image. No one wants a rich, spoiled playboy to work for them.” To emphasize his words he waved around one of the magazines, the large yellow letters reading ‘LOVER BOY SEES THE LIGHT: ‘I’M NOT MY FATHER’S SON!’

Nico leaned back, worn out now. “I would never say that.” He muttered softly, his gripping hands wrinkling the glossy paper. His fingers lightly traced over the bright letters and he sighed. Nico faced Will, a small, small smile in place as he repeated Will’s words back to him, but only laced in disbelief. “And why the _hell_ do they think I’m a playboy?”

“It’s probably the skinny jeans.” Will remarked before he could stop himself. He fought off a blush at Nico’s sharp, knowing gaze. “What? They’re practically a sin. I’m surprised you don’t get holy water flicked at you on the streets.”

Nico seemed to perk up at his opportunity and he gave Will a low smirk. The air almost immediately thickened as he spoke. “Are they, Will? Are they truly _sinfully_ tight? Do I need prayers? Tell me something.” Nico bit his lip and leaned in, his eyes heavy and heated, “Do you pray for me?”

Will throat was dry and he struggled to swallow, “What?”

Nico dropped his eyes and his eyelashes fluttered against creamy cheeks, “Do you pray for me?” He repeated, his voice smooth like silk but heavy like granite. He said his words with deep meaning, like they were his own person sermon. “After all, with all the sinning I seem to do, it would seem almost rude of you not too.”

Will took an even breath and it was hard – it was hard to breathe evenly like this wasn’t affecting him the way it obviously was. Will caught a quick spark of humor flash in Nico’s eyes and he had to sigh to control himself. “I don’t discuss personal religion with my clients.” He answered, his voice was breathless but, thankfully, didn’t crack.  

Nico’s face broke then, cracking into a wide wicked grin. The heavy air was temporarily lessened and Will jerked back – not even realizing he was leaning closer to the other boy. Nico’s grin read of a smug flirtation. “I thought I wasn’t your client.”

Will shook his head and felt Nico shift closer to him. “You’re not my client.” He told him, lying to himself a bit.

“Riiiight.” Nico dragged out, picking back up his magazine and holding it up so Will couldn’t see him. “Slightly illegal things. Got it.”

Will pulled down the magazine so it wasn’t blocking Nico’s face anymore. “You shouldn’t read that stuff.” Will pulled it from his hands gently, and Nico only resisted for a second. “C’mon, Cupcake Wars, remember?”

Nico sighed and fell back onto the couch. His abandon pizza rolls were still slightly steaming on the coffee table and he pulled them up on his lap. “Yeah. Okay. But you better not talk, especially during the final round. Hazel always tries to talk and it drives me crazy.”

“I wouldn’t dare.” Will told him, but stopped to think about that. “Actually…maybe I will. It could be sweet, sweet payback.”

“Payback?” Nico questioned, pausing in the act of choosing an episode, “What in the world have I done?”

“Nico di Angelo.” Will sighed with humor, “If talking during TV is what drives you crazy, then you drive me absolutely insane.”

Nico smiled, and it was a happy sort of smile. Pleased. He was pleased with himself. “I drive you insane?”

Will dragged his eyes over Nico’s sharp pink lips, currently wrapped around the end of a pizza roll, and the little drop of sauce that smeared around one corner of his mouth. He eyed the sinfully tight jeans that he loved, loved, _loved_ to see on Nico, and his pale skin and flushed cheeks and the curled ends of his hair.

“Yeah.” He finally answered, and his voice was only a little weak with emotion. “You drive me insane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I couldn't quite settle on an ending that would wrap up all nicely in one chapter so I've decided to continue it on for a bit more. Thanks for sticking with me! 8)


	5. Chapter 5

“Honey, I’m home.” Will greeted dryly.

Nico barely looked up from his blanket nest in front of the TV. He gave him a small salute and a grin, “Join me, _doctor_. And be quiet, the season finale of Walking Dead is on and I’m not going to be distracted by your thinking.” 

Will dropped his satchel at the doorway and it spilled open with a clutter, but he ignored it, exhaustion taking over his desire for cleanliness. The few steps to the coach felt like miles away and when he finally collapsed onto the coach, all he felt was relief. He eyed the highlighters and pencils rolling out of his bag and tried not to be bothered by it.

“Long day at the office, sweetums?” Nico commented and, while his eyes still glued to the television, scooted over a bit so Will could lean onto him and steal a handful of popcorn from the bowl that sat in Nico’s lap. Nico’s hand landed on the back of Will’s neck and his fingers threaded through his hair. Will hummed and leaned into the touch.

“The worst.” He groaned out, “Why are people so difficult?” He munched on the handful of popcorn and enjoyed the feeling of Nico’s hand curling through his hair.

Nico nodded sympathetically, “I know, pooky. There’s lasagna on the stove, if you’re hungry.”

“Thank god.” Will groaned out, rubbing his palms deep into his eyes. He turned his face so it was warm against Nico’s t-shirt.“So what’s wrong?” Will muttered against Nico’s shoulder.

Nico stilled for a moment before continuing reaching for his streaming drink on the coffee table. Hot chocolate, by the smell of it, held in one of Will’s favorite old chipped mugs. He had a passing thought for the fact that he didn't own any hot chocolate but didn't linger on it. Nico held it out for Will to take a long sip, and it was warm and comforting and everything the day hadn’t been.

“What’s wrong?” he repeated after he handed back the heavy mug.

“Why do you think something’s wrong?” Nico questioned, his voice a little too aggressive and his eyes avoiding Will’s gaze. His hand dropped from Will’s neck and he tried not to be disappointed with that.

“For one, you’re avoiding my question.” Will pulled out his phone so he could fiddle with it. Nico, he had noticed, didn’t respond well when Will’s full attention was on him. He pulled up a half finished game of Spider Solitaire and began shifting the little animated cards where he could. “And two, you only come to me when something’s wrong.”

Nico eyed him for a long moment, “Yeah, well, the only thing that has happened is that Rick and the group have been separated and the zombies are attacking.” Nico turned his body back towards the television and Will eyed the tension in his shoulders. Nico always wore his anxiety like a glove – close and tight to the skin.

Will nodded, pretending to accept this, slipped his phone on the table and turned his attention back to show. The low, shuddering music indicated something suspenseful was happening and Will tried to catch up on what was going on.

Only a few minutes had passed when Nico heaved a frustrated sigh and Will tried not to grin at that.

“You know how much I hate telling you you’re right.” Nico told him without looking at him, “But you’re right. Something kinda happened.”

Will shifted so he could look over at Nico and he realized he was leaning on the other boy more then he thought. Will didn’t move – only moved in a little bit more. His head was practically in Nico lap at this point. “Oh? Care to share with the class?”

Nico’s hand came up and met with Will’s golden locks, his pale fingers threading through the blond hair nicely.  “Are you petting me?” Will questioned a little dumbly. He leaned into the touch.

Nico ignored him. “I found an apartment.” He told him, and his eyes flickered from Will’s face to the television, a nervous tick under the guise of not wanting to miss the program. Will bit his lip and waited for Nico to continue. “It’s really nice – 2 bedrooms and a living room and kitchen with this huge bathroom. It’s not too far from the Manor and the rent is reasonable and it allows pets and it’s really great.”

“But?” Will prompted, reaching up to catch Nico’s hand in his hair. Will held it tightly until Nico was ready to talk.

“It’s in this building.” Nico stumbled out quickly, finally meeting Will’s eyes. He looked tired, and worry twisting with anxiety was clear in his eyes. “It’s…on this floor actually. And Will, if you’re not comfortable with me living in the same building as you, I totally understand. I’ll keep looking, it’s no problem. Seriously, not a big deal at all.”

Will blinked, “It’s on my floor? Like…a few doors down?”

Nico nodded shyly and dunked his head, and it was the position of someone preparing themselves to get hit.

“So?” Will questioned. He, logically, saw why Nico thought it could be a problem and why he _should_ find it to be a problem, but the two just didn’t connect in his head.

Will expected a bit more confusion from Nico, but the other boy was always good at hiding his emotions. He lifted his head slowly, and cocked his head to the side, jutting his chin up a bit.

“’So?’” he repeated, in the same tone Will had delivered it, “Will, I _kidnapped_ you.”

“You borrowed me,” Will dismissed, "it was only for like, what, an hour? And I didn’t mind it that much.”

“I've _broken_ into your apartment. Multiple times. _Today_.”

Will shrugged, and pretended to turn his attention back to the television, just in time to see a zombie get decapitated. “Go Carol.” He remarked, mostly just to tease Nico.

Nico’s voice was quiet when he spoke, “So…it’s okay? If I move in?”

Will rolled his eyes overdramatically, “C’mon di Angelo, get in the game. You’ve practically lived here these past few weeks, why is down the hall any different? After all,” Will flashed his bare teeth at him, “now I can break into _your_ apartment.”

“You could always break into the Manor.” Nico suggested, and his voice was relieved and light.

“Yeah, no. That’s a no, because I’m not feelin like death by evil overlord _just_ yet.”

Nico laughed and, surprise surprise, Will found him beautiful. "You're being ridiculous." He teased, his eyes glowing. Will's heart sped up as he and Nico locked eyes, and the room suddenly got so much fuller. Not that, with the third addition of Will's ridiculously huge crush, it ever got very empty.

Will’s swallowed and tucked a curl behind Nico’s ear. And this was important to him, it was important for him to remember how he felt right now at this exact moment, with the soundtrack of a horror television show playing in the background and the scent of melted cheese and popcorn lingering in the air, and how he absolutely needed to know this, needed to know this like he needed to drink or eat. Because being with Nico was like the first bite of a starving man’s last meal, and it was like a thirsty man tasting water only to discover it was poison but gulping it down anyways. Because he wasn’t sure he was going to make it, wasn’t sure it was going to work out or be okay, but dear gods, he could swear every moment had been worth it.

“Nico…” Will grabbed Nico’s hand in his, and the intimacy wasn’t romantic or affectionate or flirtatious. It felt warm, and it felt as necessary as breathing, as the air in his longs and the blood in his veins. “Why did you choose me? Why, out of every therapist or psychiatrist in this huge city, why did you pick me?”

Nico’s lips parted and his eyes were dangerously dilated, and, for a single moment, Will was worried he was going to blow it off with a sarcastic, snide remark. But instead he licked his lips and leaned it, “Because you were the only one as lonely as I was.” He breathed out, his voice weak and shuttering under the emotion.  He leaned in, closer and closer to Will’s warming lips before Will could jerk away suddenly.

“I don’t date my clients.” Will confessed breathlessly, and his lips cursed him, his lips hated him for saying that, for making them curl around those words when they could be otherwise occupied.

“Good thing I’m not your client, right?” Nico smirked loosely, and his eyes were dark with arousal. “I’m just someone who has the bad tendency to do slightly illegal things in order to talk to you.”

Will bit his lip to hold down his smile, “Yeah. I guess that’s right.”

After all the time they had wasted dancing around each other, they wasted no time jerking forward to meet each other. Nico’s lips were soft, much softer than any other boy that Will had ever kissed. And he was aggressive, this showed itself in the fingers that knotted tightly into Will’s hair, and how Nico’s body curved and pressed around his’ in just a matter of moments. Their teeth knocked together and they both pulled away with heaving lungs and flushed cheeks.

“Will...” Nico glanced up at Will through his eyelashes, “How did you know someone was in your apartment? The first time I, uh, came over?”

“You’ve been dying to ask me that, huh?” Will laughed, and his cheeks were flushed with happiness and arousal. His lips still pulsed from the pressure of Nico’s on his. He couldn’t help but sigh out a laugh and give the other boy a smile. “Nico. I get a notification every time a pigeon so much as looks at its reflection in my window. Someone opening and climbing through?” He rolled his eyes, “I had security footage texted to me by the time your dirty boots were on my carpet.”

Nico’s jaw hung open, “A security system?” He exclaimed, like it was a terrible, surprising thing that a security system caught him breaking and entering. He pulled away from Will's arms to stare at him in shock. “I outgrew your system by the time I hit my teens! How – How did it!” Nico snapped his jaw close, “I deactivated it!”

“Nooo.” Will dragged the word out and popped a piece of popcorn in. Nico had tasted like melted butter, and maybe Will could recreate the taste. “You deactivated _one_.”

Nico gave him a bewildered look that screamed _Explain!_ and Will sighed, “I have multiple systems, Nico.” He told him, “You deactivated _one_.”

“How many do you have?” Nico exclaimed, far too invested in his answer.

“Like, four or five.” Will answered vaguely, before shooting Nico a look, “What did you think it was anyways?

“I don’t know!” Nico spluttered, sitting up now, “Some Mad-Eye Moody shit! Not – Not a system!”

“You’re far more panicked about this then you should be.” Will observed. Nico’s shirt was wrinkled in places where Will had gripped at it, and his hairq was a mess of curls. “You should calm down.”

“I am calm!” He exclaimed, exhibiting the exact opposite of calm. “I haven’t been outsmarted by a system since I was 12! I was beat by a system you can buy at _Walmart!_ Why do you even have so many systems?”

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” Will reassured him, patting Nico’s hand comfortingly, “And I have a paranoid father.”

Nico briefly snapped out of his emotion before leaning in, a little enticed by the possibility of hearing more about Will’s personal life. “Your father you say -?”

“Nope.” Will shook his head, turning the volume up, “I did not say. Nope.”

“C’mon Will!”

“Listen, Nico.” Will turned to Nico and made sure to show off the smooth, tan skin of his neck, “We can either bicker about me telling you about my home life, _or_ we can make out on the couch until you have to go home.” Will said this while examining his fingernails. He finally looked up to Nico’s dark eyes and curled a single lock of hair around his finger. “Now, I know which one _I_ am certainly voting for…”

Will grinned as Nico pounced forward, pinning his shoulders to the plush cushion of the coach. “Are you casting your vote?” Will questioned, resting his hands low on Nico’s waist.

“Can you be quiet for 5 minutes.” Nico muttered into Will’s neck, but not much heat behind the statement.

Will hummed, “It’s my job to listen. Literally, I listen to other people all day.” Will pulled Nico up so their lips were barely touching. “Sometimes I like to be _vocal._ ”

“You’re cheating.” Nico declared, not yet kissing Will, “I don’t know what you’re cheating at, but you’re cheating.”

Will laughed, and that’s when Nico finally decided to crush their lips together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just one more! Just a short epilogue of shorts I couldn't fit in here. I hope you've all enjoyed it so far!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS PURE CHEESE IM SO SORRY

“Care to spare something sweet, neighbor? Other than yourself, obviously.”

Will grinned and leaned against the doorframe, staring down the other boy, “How long have you been cooking that up?” He teased, still blocking the doorway. 

“Since I realized I was out of sugar.” Nico grinned, “It was good, wasn’t it?” 

“Why didn’t you just use your key?” Will chuckled, “That’s kind of why I gave you a key.” 

Nico cocked his head to the side in faux confusion, “I thought I had a key because I stole yours in the middle of the night and made a copy.” 

Will waved his hand through the air, “Same thing. Anyways, why didn’t you just barge in your usual fashion?” 

Nico grinned, “But isn’t this fun? Don’t you like our snappy little conversations?” Nico dunked under Will’s arm and headed towards the kitchen. “Now, sugarpea, where ya hiding the sweet stuff?” 

Will laughed and swung the door shut before following him, “Why do you need sugar again? I wasn’t under the impression you cooked for yourself, ever.” Will made a sweeping gesture across the kitchen, “It seems like all you do is eat out of my fridge and leave dirty dishes.” 

Nico stuck his tongue out at him and turned back to glare at the freezer – where he was apparently looking for the sugar. “Hazel’s visiting later and I want to make her cookies.” Nico paused and held a fingertip up to his chin, “And now that I think about it, I may be out of chocolate chips too.” 

Will nodded and began to dig through a cabinet as Nico spoke again, “And maybe flour and eggs. Also, butter? Or a working oven?” Nico jumped up on the counter next to Will, “How about a whisk too? You need those to bake, right?” 

Will stopped and turned to Nico slowly, “Nico?” 

“Yes, sugarlips?”                                                                                                                                        

“Do you have  _any_  ingredients to make cookies?” 

Nico popped a chocolate chip into his mouth, giving Will a look that said,  _Well, did you expect me too?_  

Will sighed, but wasn’t annoyed. “What time is Hazel coming over?” 

“In a few hours.” Nico plucked the measuring cup right out of Will’s hands and began to measure out a cup of flour. “That should be enough time, right? I’ve never actually made cookies. But the website said 45 minutes, it wasn’t wrong, right?” 

Will hummed and pre-heated the oven, “That should be fine.” He agreed. “Why are you so set on making cookies anyways?” 

Nico shrugged, and there was more to the movement then he’d like to admit. He kicked his heels against the cabinets and accepted the mixing bowl Will passed over to him. “She likes cookies.” 

“Is that the only reason you’re making cookies?” Will peeked a look over at Nico while he began to mix the ingredients. Nico, he noticed, was eating more of the chocolate chips then he was putting in the mixing bowl. 

Nico shrugged and avoided Will’s gaze, “I guess it would be kinda cool if I could show her I could do something, you know. Get her to stop worrying about me so much.” 

Will nodded, “That’s understandable. Does she worry a lot?” 

Nico heaved a large sigh, “Incredibly. She keeps trying to convince me to move with her and Frank to that camp or whatever which, um, no. And she, uh, wants to meet you.”

Will paused for a moment. “Me?” he questioned, feeling a bit flattered. His hand froze over the egg carton before falling down lightly and resting on the eggs. 

Nico dunked his head quickly, but not fast enough to hide his flushing cheeks. “Yeah…I’ve mentioned you a few times.” 

Will bit his lip a little gleefully as he turned back to selecting the perfect eggs. 

“Don’t draw anything from that.” Nico warned him, “Just because I’ve mentioned you to Hazel doesn’t mean anything.” 

Will hummed, “I will be drawing everything from that, Nico di Angelo, and you know that. But, if you’d like, I can pretend I won’t be drawing anything from it.” He shot Nico a bright smile, “Look at me, not drawing anything from that statement.” 

Nico clicked his tongue in faux annoyance before flicking a chocolate chip at Will’s forehead. 

“One less chip for Hazel’s cookies.” He warned, and Nico rolled his eyes, but didn’t throw any more chips. 

“How’s the new apartment coming along?” Will licked a little stray dough off of his wrist and glanced up at Nico. 

Nico started at the pink of Will’s lips and swallowed, “Gods, I’m so lucky you’re mine.” 

Will’s cheeks pinked and he gave the other boy a coy smile, “Yeah?”

Nico hopped off the counter and came up behind him, “I mean, you make me food and treat me nice.” He buried his nose into the crook of Will’s neck, “And you look like a literal Greek god, so. That helps.” 

“You just want me for my body.” Will declared, “That is what’s happening right now. I hope you know that.” 

Nico’s laugh shook against Will’s body, “I’m fine with that.” He told Will, his voice muffled by Will’s shirt. 

Will grinned and rolled his shoulders, “If you don’t get off me, Hazel’s cookies will never get baked.” He swiped the mixing bowl from where Nico had left it and began to stir. Nico groaned before detaching himself and pushing himself back on the counter.

“Counters aren’t for sitting.” Will told him, not actually minding that Nico was in his apartment, using all his ingredients, and sitting on his counters. Right now, the only thing he truly minded, was the fact his hands weren’t all over the beauty of a boy in front of him.

Nico rolled his eyes and didn’t respond, only dipping his finger into the cup of sugar and observing it for a moment. “I guess this makes you my sugar daddy, huh?” He grinned, licking at the collected sweetness. 

Will choked back a laugh and had to set the bowl on the counter for a moment, “Nico. You can’t just say that.”  

Nico repeated the gesture, dipping the tip of his finger into the sugar and sucking on it. “Alright, sweet stuff. Whatever ya say.” He thought for a moment, musing. “Maybe that’s what I’ll introduce you to Hazel as.” 

“You will not do that.” Will announced, pulling Nico closer by the waist, “You will not be introducing me as such.” 

Nico leaned into his chest, his hands resting on Will’s chest. “But what else shall I introduce you as, sweetums?” 

“How about as your boyfriend, Will Solace?” Will nodded seriously, “I think that would be perfect, actually.” 

Nico grinned, “And if she asks how we meet?” 

“I’m not much of a liar.” Will admitted. 

“Good thing I’m a good enough liar for the both of us then.” 

Will cocked his head to the side, “But do you really want to lie to your sister?” He raised his eyebrows and grinned, “Or are you just embarrassed of how we met?” 

“I’m not embarrassed.” Nico told him, his arms coming up to curl around Will’s neck, “I’m very proud of my kidnapping skills, thank you very much.” 

“So what is it?” Will questioned, leaning into Nico’s touch. Nico’s touch, he had noticed, was like the touch of a feather, light and smooth, but as noticeable and just as important as the rough, wet beat of his heart. It was absolutely, magnificently addicting. 

Nico tilted his head back, and his hair fell back in a soft curtain around his shoulders. “It’s just…I kidnapped you, Will. Because I was too scared to seek you out, like, legally.” 

“Borrowed me.” Will reminded him 

“Borrowed you.” Nico accepted, “I borrowed you from a dark parking lot in the middle of the night.” 

Will shrugged, “I’m sure people have met in weirder ways. How did Frank and Hazel meet?” 

Nico gave him a long look, “Hazel was lifeguarding and saved Frank from a whirlpool about a year ago. They’ve been dating ever since.” 

Will thought about that for a moment, “That kind of sounds like a fairytale.” He finally admitted. 

Nico threw his hands up, “I know! But seriously! How does that sound – I’d rather kidnap someone then talk to her about my problems!” Nico’s head fell forward, “That’ll hurt her feelings and stuff. She’ll pretend it won’t but it  _totally_  will.” 

Will processed that and, as much as he didn’t like lying, it made sense. “I still think you should tell her the truth. She’ll be more hurt by a lie, and it’s always good to hear that a loved one is seeking self-help. It might even help her cool off on the worry.”

“Maybe.” Nico pulled away, “I guess. I don’t know.” 

“It’s okay.” Will smiled, mostly just to reassure Nico, “You still got a few hours. How about we finish up these cookies?”

Nico sighed but it was with a grin, “Sounds good, sugar buns.” 

“Will you stop with the pet names!” Will laughed, not even managing to convince himself that he didn’t enjoy the silly little names Nico oh so casually bestowed upon him. 

Nico leaned forward to peek at the cookie mix as Will started spooning it onto the metal trays, “How else am I supposed to express my sugary sweet love to you?” 

“Go write about it in your diary, di Angelo.” Will teased, his heart speeding up a bit. 

Will looked over his shoulder just in time to see Nico stick his tongue out like a toddler, “If anyone keeps a diary it’s you, Solace. Always talking about your feels and stuff.”

“Wouldn’t  _you_  love to read my diary.” 

Nico froze for a moment before speaking slowly, “….You don’t keep a diary.” 

Will casually shrugged, “Maybe I do.” 

There was a silence and Will bit his cheek to keep himself from laughing. He slid the pans in the oven before setting the timer, secretly enjoying the silence Nico was shocked into.

"C'mon," Will turned so he could weave his fingers through Nico's and pull him forward, the pervious mood forgotten, "the cookies need time to bake and your unending stare will not hurry them."

Nico's gaze snapped back to Will, amusement dancing in his eyes, "Well," he drawled out, "my gaze seems to make _you_ all hot and bothered, so you can't blame me for trying."

Will laughed and pulled Nico into the living room with him, a light red dusting his cheeks. They ended up sprawled on the couch together. And, thanks to some careful maneuvering on Nico's part, he ended up in mostly Will's lap. Neither of them seemed to mind very much.

Low music was playing, something that Nico hadn't noticed before. It was some horribly sweet pop song that Will liked, just like all the other horrible music Will liked.

Nico supposed it said something that Nico sort of loved horrible pop music now. He didn't try to think too hard into it.  

Will was watching Nico, waiting. “What’s up?” he finally asked, his voice soft and hesitant. Nico didn’t always respond well to direct questions, so he usually kept them sparse.

Nico tensed, before deflating a bit. “How do you _always_ know?”

“It’s my job.” Will told him, brushing Nico’s hair over his shoulder. “And, I’m ecstatic to say, I _know_ you.”

Nico was quiet for a long moment, only leaning into Will’s touch before speaking, and his voice was quick as if he was afraid he was never get the words out. “Hades wrote to me.”

Nico swallowed, and was glad he was facing away from Will.

“Oh?” Will prompted, resting his chin on Nico’s shoulder. 

“He wants to meet up with me. To apologize, he says.” Nico ducked his head, “I’m not sure if I believe him.”

“You should do what you think is right." _Meet him_. Will wanted to tell him, _Forgive him. Please don't hold the hurtful grudge I know you want to have._ "I don't want you to get hurt." He said instead, because it was the absolute truth and he _was_ Nico's kind of therapist, but he also was Nico's boyfriend. Will, selfishly, couldn't decide which one was more important.

“I know, it’s just…I feel so free. Without all the bodyguards, the press, the…evil.” Nico sighed, “I’m not sure if I want to go back to that.”

“You won’t have too.” Will told him, holding him close. “You’re an adult; you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to when it comes to stuff like this.” Will sighed, “I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a relationship with your father, but I _would_ suggest that maybe you don’t go back to the relationship you had with him.” Will gave the other boy a small smile and turned his chin so he was facing him, “Go to brunch. Talk it through. No one’s going to make you move back in the Manor or attend any evil parties, or whatever you did before.”

“They were galas.” Nico corrected him, leaning his forehead on Will’s, “I had to wear a tux.”

“Really? Evil galas?” Will thought about it, mostly about how nice Nico probably looked in that tux, “Sounds neat.”

Nico shrugged, and Will took his hand and held it. “I know you miss your father.” Will told him, his voice as soft as his loose grip on Nico’s hand, “I know you miss him. I really think you should respond, even if it’s just to get closure. But I’ll support whatever you in whatever you do, you know that right?”

Nico nodded and waited a long moment before sighing, “I guess I’ll text him or something.” He muttered, but seemed to have no objection to the choice.

Will admired him, “I’m glad. Your father seems to love you very much.”

Nico didn’t respond to that, and they sat there in silence for a while. It was only until they were both startled out of their thoughts by the shrill oven alarm that they remembered the cookies.

“C’mon.” Will smiled, and Nico took a second to admire how nice he looked, “Hazel’ll be here soon. Let’s get those cookies out _without_ eating most of them.”

* * *

Hours later, the night sky was dark and the air was clear with a chill. It had rained earlier, and the grass was slick and the pavement darkened. The disturbed sections of the peaceful scene were scare and almost impossible to spy. Some examples, such as the slightly crushed grass blades leading up to the apartment building, could be spotted only by the trained eye. Others, such as the single muddy boot print imprinted on the sidewalk, were more obvious, but would be gone by morning.

Inside the apartment building, Nico had long since abandoned his messy boots and thick winter jacket. His phone was nearby, but off. A mug of cider steamed, but remained unsipped.

The only thing that seemed worthy, or capable, of Nico di Angelo’s attention at the moment was a thick, leather bound book. The material was quality, although the aged leather seemed to be more factory then actual age. The boy flipped pages carefully, but quickly, as he mentally devoured the book.

Nico held the smooth book carefully, his eyes only barely leaving the pages to glance up at Will as the other boy shuffled in the room, a thick blanket wrapped around his bare shoulders.

Will sprawled out next to him, the heat radiating off Nico tempting and entrancing.  "You found my diary?" He questioned, already knowing the answer.

Nico took a moment then to carefully press his thumb onto the paper where he was reading before flipping up his sharp gaze to meet Will's eyes. " _Found_?" He repeated in disbelief, "You say _found_ as if it was lying around, or resting on some bookshelf." He sighed for a long moment, no real frustration in the movement. "I had to break into your godforsaken office at _three in the morning_ , Will. I scared half the life off some poor squirrel that was sitting on the window ledge, and almost got in a fight with a raccoon that was hiding in the dumpster. And, after that adventure, I had to hack past _several_ security systems, all encrypted with various languages, thanks for that by the way, and literal _vault_ , for God's sake Will, and then, after all that, after around three or four hours of high mental straining breaking in, a fucking dollar store combination padlock."

"It's a wonder how you got past the padlock." Will muttered into the couch. His hair stuck up in every direction, and his cheeks were red with warmth.

"Really? That's what you take away from this? Not the fact I _broke_ into your office to get your diary?"

"It's a nice office." Will mused, curling closer to the other boy, "did you say hello to Soren?"

"Did I - Will, _of course_ I said hello to Soren. But that's not that point."

"You always seem to have a point." Will told him, his eyes sliding shut. "Why don't you come back to bed and we'll talk about this wonderful point I’m sure you have in the morning."

Nico groaned, his grip tightening on the book quickly, "just a few more minutes."

"What part are you at?" Will smiled into the cushion, secretly please Nico was enjoying his words so much.

"That time I broke in while you were in the shower."

Will laughed, "And when I came out you were already sprawled across my bed in a pair of my pajamas." He hummed under his breath, "I knew you would enjoy that part. I thought you would enjoy the detail about the maple syrup the best. ”

“You knew - _you knew?_ What do you mean -I can’t - nevermind.” Nico threw his hands in the air, the book dropping onto the cushion. “Nevermind. You know what? It’s bedtime.” Nico stood, pulling Will with him. Will leaned sleepily onto Nico, pressing his cold nose into the other boys neck.

Nico groaned, taking most of Will’s weight, “You are _so_ making me breakfast in the morning.”

“Hmm.” Will hummed into Nico’s neck, “Pancakes?”

“Oh gods, yes.” Nico agreed, dropping Will down on his bed before curling up next to him. “Banana flavoring?”

“With chocolate.” Will agreed, holding his arms open. “Now come ‘ere.”

Nico complied, pulling the blanket around him, “Hazel’s coming for dinner.” Nico muttered, “She likes you.”

Will grinned and pulled Nico closer to him, “I like her too. She’s great. I loved her story about you and Hawaiian shirt.”

Nico hummed pleasantly, “You will never speak of such story again.”

Will laughed, low and tired, “I will speak of such story again. Often. Passionately. With much gusto.”

Nico elbowed him, but it was too soft to cause any reaction. “Be quiet.” Nico ordered him, his voice full of warm affection. “It’s bedtime. Go to sleep.”

Will tightened his arms around the other boy, and Nico enjoyed the feeling of safety that came with the movement.

The silence was warm, and only interrupted by the soft, occasional click of the ceiling fan.

“Have sweet dreams, sugar lips.” Nico muttered into his pillow as his eyes fell shut.

Will opened his eyes and, through the darkness, could _just_ make out the sharp, pale lines of Nico’s cheekbones. Will pressed his lips to the back of his neck, inhaling the clean scent of Nico’s peppermint shampoo, mixed with the faint traces of the cologne he had put on before Hazel arrived. Will supposed it wasn’t fair how, after everything Will loved so much about the other man, he had the _nerve_ to perpetually smell good. He also couldn’t find it in himself to care very much.

When Will’s eyes finally fluttered close for the night Nico’s breaths had already evened out, and his snores already began. Hours later, while both heavily asleep, Nico’s arms would find their way around Will’s waist, and the sheets would drag and tangle at their feet. Hours later, when the birds would start to sing and Will, of course, would be the first to detangle himself from the bed he would take a moment to drape a soft blanket, Nico’s favorite, across the other boy’s bare back. Hours later, Nico would wake to a symphony of sizzling pancakes, cracking eggs, and the clashing of dishes, and he would muster a smile through a haze of early morning exhaustion. Even more hours later, when the fragrance of breakfast had long since faded,  Hazel would knock on that front door, and would spend dinner hiding smiles in her sleeve through bites of her ravioli. And so, so many more hours in the future, at the point where trying to measure the difference in time by hours is a bit ridiculous, Nico would bend at the knee and hold up all of his hope, all of his insecurity, and all of his love to Will, as well as a little black box, and Will would choke on his emotion before choking out his answer and pulling Nico up into his arms.

But none of that matters right now. All that matters right now, as Will falls asleep entangled with the man he loved, was that it seemed that he has already found his sweet dream.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S DONE!  
> So sorry for that extremely long wait. But, college applications are FINALLY done so I can finally get back to finishing the half ideas I get of these two losers 8) Thank you all so much for reading, especially the loyal readers who have been reading since the very beginning. I wouldn't be writing without y'all! <3 New story should be up SOON! Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> 6th Work in my 'First Meeting Solangelo AU' series.
> 
> Follow me on tumblr for short stories and weird rambling, if that's your thing. Rosyredlipstick.tumblr.com


End file.
